


Any Port in a Storm

by flightinflame



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Children, Enemies to Friends, Erik Logic Is The Best Logic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21783895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Erik hates children. He hates that there are children in his house. But Emma thought that offering this bunch of ragtag mutants a home would solve his PR problem. So he accepted it, and now; he has regrets.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20
Collections: Secret Mutant Madness 2019





	Any Port in a Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [JackyJango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackyJango/pseuds/JackyJango) in the [secret_mutant_madness_2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/secret_mutant_madness_2019) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Charles quits his successful tenure as a Professor in Oxford and returns to his family home in Westchester to open a school for mutants, a safe place where they can learn to accept their powers. Charles puts every last penny he has saved into opening the 'Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters'. The school is a roaring success and becomes a safe haven to more than 20 children within the first year.
> 
> But it so happens that Sebastian Shaw has also been eyeing on that property for quite some now.
> 
> One day the State presents a notice to Charles to vacate the house in two days and that the Xavier Mansion now belongs to Sebastian Shaw as a settlement of an old debt Brain Xavier owed him.
> 
> 2 days later Charles and his kids are pushed to the streets. The school and house is all he had, and with it gone, Charles is helpless and furious.
> 
> Meanwhile, Erik Lehnsherr, founder and CEO of Lehnsherr Steel finds himself in a sticky situation when he gets into a fight with journalists on National television. Normally, Erik wouldn't care about what the People are saying about him, but the negative backlash has been hampering his business, so his Personal Assistant, Emma comes with the perfect idea to rectify the situation with the PR and bring down Erik's old business rival, Shaw.
> 
> Emma convinces Erik to open the doors of his duplex penthouse to Charles Xavier and his 20 kids. 
> 
> The media is all too happy to project the altruistic side of Erik Magnus Lehnsherr and how he reached out to those in times of need. It's a totally different case at his house though. The kids hate him, and it sits all too well with Erik, because he hates them in return. But then there's also the situation with their guardian and extremely infuriating with his internationalist ideals, naive Professor, Charles Xavier.
> 
> The sooner they learn that it's best for them to work as a team to bring down Shaw, the better. And if Charles and Erik develop feelings for each other during that, well, what can be done?

Erik winced, leaning against the door of his bedroom and rubbing his forehead. This entire situation was _ridiculous_. Beyond ridiculous, and it was all Emma's fault, and he wanted to scream.

He could hear the horde rampaging outside. Twenty mutant children, and their ridiculous teacher, all inside his space. He hated children. He thought he'd hated them before. He hated them so much more now. He wanted to scream, to just give up and rent somewhere else and find somewhere he wouldn't have to worry, because this was chaos.

He had hoped perhaps for gratitude, when he'd opened up his house for these children. He understood Emma's argument. It was an important gesture, to emphasise his work on supporting mutants, and prove that he wasn't just saying it. Azazel, bastard that he was, had barely even said thank you for Erik's spirited defence (telling him off for getting into a fight didn't count).

And taking in Xavier and his children was meant to solve his problems. Show off the fact he cared, that he helped mutants, and be a way of pissing off the sadist that had ruined his youth. 

In fact, it had caused all kinds of problems. He despised them. There was a kid who kept setting things on fire. And that kid's little shit of a boyfriend kept freezing things that were on fire, to stop the fire spreading. And then there was the kid that he'd caught climbing the ceiling, and the girl that made things float, and he hated it. It was just too much. He'd sort out a new school for them, because they deserved that, because he agreed with Xavier he would do it. But he needed his own space. There were telepaths around, and having to watch his thoughts every moment was exhausting.

He groaned, resting his face forwards against his knees and trying to think peaceful thoughts, when he felt something cold ripple through him. He opened his eyes to find a little girl stood in front of him.

He couldn't remember her name.

She pushed a finger to her lips, and he considered just throwing her out, but if a locked door didn't work he supposed he'd best find out what was going on. He nodded slowly.  
"Why are you here?"

"Because Sean keeps screaming, and my ears hurt..." she complained, and Erik wondered if he'd remembered correctly when he thought Sean was the one who broke glass when he screamed. That sounded like the right kind of bullshit given the current state of his life.

He considered sending her back out. But she'd come back in.  
"Fine. Just be quiet, okay?" He frowned, and reached out with his thoughts. 

_Xavier! Xavier, Xavier, Xavier!_ The man had said his name being thought was loud and drew his attention, and Erik used that to his advantage now. 

_What is it, Mister Lehnsherr?_ Xavier asked, and he sounded exhausted. It felt from the metal of his wheelchair that he was currently on the lower floor of the flat.

Erik's first instinct was to snap, but he hesitated, looking at the little girl who was curled up beside him.  
_There's one of your urchins up here. Can you fetch her, she looks cold._

_I'll be on my way. Her name is Kitty, is she alright?_

_She's just fed up with this chaos, Xavier. We both are._

_We all are._ And there was exhaustion in Xavier's voice. _But I'll come and check on her. Thank you for keeping her safe._ There was a pause, as Charles manoeuvred his chair towards the elevator, and then a knock on the door.

Erik stood up and straightened his jacket, opening the door with his powers. Xavier wheeled inside, pausing by Kitty.  
"Hello, you need to not bother Mister Lehnsherr when he's working..."

"But Sean was hurting my head..." she whispered, and then wrapped her arms around herself, and Erik realised with a sudden twist of guilt that the little girl was about to cry. "I want to go home, Charles. I don't like it here..." 

"I know, Kitty. I miss home, but we... we can't go home any more. So we've just got to make the best of it..." Charles told her, and he sighed. "Go and find Marie, okay? I know she was feeling lonely."

"You'll get another home soon." Erik interrupted, and for a moment sheer panic crossed Charles's face. Erik wasn't surprised. He'd found them after Charles had jedi-mind-tricked his way into a hotel, the whole crowd crashing in three rooms because the alternative had been sleeping on the street. 

"Kitty, run along," Charles instructed, then turned to Erik. "I'm sorry, I know that they're a problem, but... these children can't go home. I've been in contact with families, and no one is willing to take them. They don't want to deal with mutant children. Their best case scenario is them ending up in the foster system, but..." Charles trailed off, finishing mentally. _Some would end up in prison, and others as research subjects. I promise, I'm trying to find a solution, but-_

"I will find them a home." Erik interrupted, glad for his shielding which stopped Charles seeing how much he was afraid of the idea of these children ending up back in the laboratories of his youth. "I am not having this many children out on the streets, helpless. And I am not sharing my life with your... chaos. It's a disaster. But until I find somewhere safe for you, for all of you, you can stay. Just please, keep the children out of my room. I don't... I can't handle them there."

"Understood." Charles said firmly, and there was fire in those eyes. "Irene says that there's going to be another press shoot tomorrow, do you need me to talk the most photogenic kids into attending?" There was a hint of anger in Charles's expression, even if the question was polite, and Erik found himself grinning.

"Perhaps just us. It's not fair to expect the children to parade for the media when they have lost so much."

"Thank you." Charles murmured, and he smiled shyly. "You know, I've been thinking."

"You're a telepath, that's what you do." Erik answered, but without any bite. Charles just continued to look at him serenely.

"Well, the thing is. There's a building that would be perfect, and is already adapted to the children's unique needs."

"The school?" Erik asked curiously, and Charles's lips twisted into a smirk.

"The school. The way I see it, getting the school back would solve all of our problems. No more children for you, and no more cramped space for the children..."

Erik looked at him curiously.  
"You do realise this isn't an easy case to take on."

"You have a telepath on your side." Charles held out his hand towards Erik, offering it forwards for him to shake. "I'm pretty sure we can manage this."

Erik hesitated, then reached out and shook.


End file.
